A federal judge has dismissed an indictment against a Los Angeles TikTok streamer who was shot by an officer during an immigration enforcement operation and accused of assault against a federal agent, citing constitutional violations.
Carlitos Ricardo Parias, a TikTok creator who streams local breaking news, was accused in October of ramming his car into immigration agents’ vehicles after they surrounded him during an operation. Body-worn camera footage obtained by the Los Angeles Times shows that an agent fired his gun during the incident, shooting Parias in the elbow. A ricochet bullet also hit a deputy US marshal in the hand.
He was indicted by a grand jury and scheduled to go on trial on Tuesday.
But on Saturday, US district judge Fernando Olguin ordered the indictment dismissed, saying that the government deprived Parias of his rights when it decided to detain him at the Adelanto ICE processing center – an Immigration and Customs Enforcement detention center about 90 miles (145km) east of Los Angeles – immediately after he was ordered released from jail on bond. Olguin also said that once at Adelanto, Parias’ defense team were unable to schedule any legal visits.